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Good teams grind out wins when they are not at their best and that is exactly what Celtic did at Easter Road with a 2-1 win against Hibernian on Wednesday night in the Scottish Premiership.

It took two penalties, one of which came in stoppage time, to secure all three points for the Hoops as they struggled at times against Nick Montgomery's side.

The Hoops ended the match with only three shots on target for their efforts – to Hibernian's four – and two of those came from the penalties that were converted by Adam Idah.

Celtic's deadline day addition on loan from Norwich City will take the headlines with both of the goals on the night but Brendan Rodgers' true hero was Liam Scales at the heart of the defence.

Adam Idah's penalty heroics for Celtic

The Ireland international was handed a full debut by the manager and repaid the faith shown in him by burying both of his penalties with conviction, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way both times.

It took serious bottle for the 22-year-old to step up and convert as the first came after a lengthy stoppage due to a head injury sustained by Alistair Johnston and then with the game on the line in stoppage time.

However, it was not a perfect display from the young dynamo and there will be lessons to learn for him ahead of the rest of the 2023/24 campaign.

Idah missed one 'big chance' and only completed six of his 11 attempted passes throughout the match. He also lost four of his five ground duels and Rodgers may look to work with him to get more involved in matches, in possession and in battles off the ball, over the coming weeks and months.

Liam Scales' dominance at Easter Road

One player who was better than the Irish marksman was his international teammate Scales, who dominated at Easter Road and produced a complete performance.

The former Aberdeen loanee has established himself as a regular starter, with 23 league starts, and showcased his quality once again against Hibs on Wednesday night.

Minutes played

90

Duels contested

Ten

Duels won

Nine

Clearances

Four

Blocks

Two

As you can see in the table above, Scales was a rock at the back for Celtic as he won 90% of his duels, which included all three of his battles on the deck and six of his seven aerial contests.

He dominated the opposition at almost every opportunity to prevent them from causing more issues for Joe Hart between the sticks on the night, and could do little to stop Dylan Levitt's superb strike from the edge of the box to make it 1-1 on the hour.

One crucial intervention came towards the end of the match as Hibs looked set to counter with pace down the right but Scales adjusted brilliantly to intercept and control the ball, which allowed the Hoops to build an attack of their own.

The Irish colossus was also composed in possession of the ball with a whopping 126 passes completed (88% success rate) from 157 touches of the ball.

Scales only gave the ball away 17 times from those 157 touches. Whereas, Idah lost possession nine times from his 21 touches at the top end of the pitch.

Overall, the central defender produced a complete performance with his reliability on the ball and in his exceptional defensive work, whereas his compatriot left a lot to be desired away from his crucial penalties, which is why the former Shamrock Rovers star was the best player on the park for the Hoops.

Australia captain ruled out of all white-ball cricket before the Ashes after a scan revealed ‘lumbar bone stress’ following ongoing back soreness post the Caribbean tour

Alex Malcolm02-Sep-20251:10

Bailey: ‘Expect Cummins to be fit for first Ashes Test’

Pat Cummins’ Ashes preparation has been compromised after a scan revealed lumbar bone stress in his lower back which has ruled him out of the three white-ball series against New Zealand and India. It leaves the potential that he won’t play any cricket ahead of the England series which starts on November 21 in Perth.Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, has not played since the Test tour of the Caribbean where his bowling workloads were significantly lower than usual. He missed the five T20Is against West Indies and both series against South Africa that followed which was a long-held plan to given him a 10-week physical build-up to the Test summer in a similar vein to last year.Related

Doubts over Cummins' fitness for first Ashes Test grow, return remains unknown

Inglis out of T20 tour of New Zealand with a calf strain, Carey called up

Vidler ruled out of Australia A tour of India with a partial stress fracture

Cummins may 'take a few risks' to be able to play Ashes

Australia's pace depth: Who's in the Ashes mix if Cummins and co run aground?

But Cummins experienced some back soreness post the Caribbean tour that lingered much longer than expected and a routine scan on Monday showed the bone stress, otherwise known as a hot spot, which can be a precursor to a stress fracture. However, he has been cleared of any fracture in his lower spine and there remains confidence he will be fit for the opening Test against England.”There always was a de-load planned for him post that West Indies Test series, and then he’s just reported that he had a little bit of ongoing back soreness as part of that, and [the scan] just identified a little bit of lumbar bone stress,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “I think the focus for him has and will continue to be just preparation for that [Ashes] Test series.”So there’ll just be some further management and a little bit of rehab around that. But in terms of plan for the Ashes, I don’t think too much will change. There still feels like there’s plenty of time. But there’s full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test.”Cummins was plagued by stress fractures across the first six years of his international career and did not play a Test match between his debut in 2011 and his second Test in India in 2017.Since that time he has been incredibly durable with various minor issues, including an ankle injury and a hamstring issue, being managed without him missing large chunks of cricket.This back issue will be a concern given his overall bowling loads have been much lower in 2025. He had bowled 400-plus overs in all cricket in each of the last three calendar years but has only bowled 175.1 overs through nine months of 2025, including just 95.1 across the four Tests recently in June and July against South Africa and West Indies. Even with a handful of ODIs and a possible planned Sheffield Shield game as well as the first four Ashes Test before the end of the year he was likely to fall well short of 400 overs this year.Pat Cummins has missed very few Tests since returning to the side in 2017•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesCummins went into last summer deliberately underdone playing one 50-over match for New South Wales and two ODIs against Pakistan before the first Test against India. He was rusty as a result in the first Test in Perth when Australia were beaten heavily. But his freshness showed at the back end of the series as he was Player of the Match in the fourth Test in Melbourne and took five key wickets in the final Test in Sydney while India’s Jasprit Bumrah went down with a back injury following an unsustainable bowling load.Cummins said after the West Indies series in July this year that he planned to play in New Zealand and then against India in the ODIs, as well as potentially play a Sheffield Shield game.He now has just 11 weeks for the hot spot to settle and it would seem highly unlikely, although not impossible, that he could play any cricket before the Ashes starts. There is a domestic one-day game between NSW and Queensland in Sydney on November 3 that could present a chance for some capped competitive overs if his back has settled in time, without being locked into a four-day Sheffield Shield game. NSW’s last Sheffield Shield match before the first Test, against Victoria at the SCG, starts on November 10.”I think he’s one, certainly skill wise, that has entered summers at different stages without a great amount of match balls at different times,” Bailey said. “Given how far out we are there’s the potential for some Shield cricket in the lead-up. There’s still options there. If it got to the stage where they were taken off the table, I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level.”The injury also presents a possibility that Cummins will not be able to play and captain all five Tests. There are eight-day breaks following each of the first and second Tests but those breaks shorten to just four days after the third and fourth, putting major strain on the ability of fast bowlers on both sides to back up later in the series.Steven Smith will likely captain Australia if Cummins were to miss any of the Tests. Smith led Australia in the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka earlier this year when Cummins missed due to an ankle issue and the birth of his second child. Smith also captained one Test in the last Ashes series in Australia in December 2021 when Cummins was ruled out of the second match in Adelaide due to the Covid-19 rules in place at the time.Overall, Smith has captained six times in Cummins’ absence since returning to the vice-captaincy in 2021. Travis Head is also formally a Test vice-captain but it would be unlikely he would be called upon to deputise if Smith is in the XI.Steven Smith would likely captain if Pat Cummins missed a Test•Getty ImagesOn a bowling front, Australia have a ready-made replacement in Scott Boland, but should another injury occur to either Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc then the likes of Michael Neser and the uncapped pair of Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott will come into the frame.Jhye Richardson is hopeful he can be fit by the time the Ashes starts but he is recovering from shoulder surgery and has only just started bowling again and won’t be able to throw properly. Lance Morris is out for the summer after opting to have back surgery following another stress fracture.Hazlewood and Starc’s management will become critical in the lead into the Ashes. Starc’s retirement from T20Is means he will likely play the ODIs against India and at least one Shield game for New South Wales before the first Test, as he did last summer.Hazlewood will play the T20Is in New Zealand, but almost certainly won’t play all three in four days. He, too, will likely play some of the ODIs and at least one Shield game before Perth. Last summer he played one Shield game and one ODI but broke down with a side strain in Perth before returning for the third Test in Brisbane only to injure his calf and miss the rest of the summer.CA will also be extra vigilant in managing allrounder Cameron Green ahead of the Ashes as he returns to bowling for the first time since back surgery last year. Green will not tour New Zealand and will instead play the first Shield round for Western Australia starting on October 4. It is likely he will play three Shield games and potentially only one ODI before the Ashes begins to build up his bowling loads.Cummins’ back issue could also influence Australia’s selection in the Ashes. There had been a thought that Australia did not need the luxury of two allrounders in the same Ashes XI with Green’s return to bowling potentially making the in-form Beau Webster surplus to requirements. But having two allrounders in the same XI could significantly aid Cummins’ chances of playing while managing his workloads given Australia could have five genuine seam options plus Nathan Lyon to spread the overs across.

Benfica presidential candidate Cristovao Carvalho has made a bold claim as he vows to replace Bruno Lage with Jurgen Klopp should he be elected.

Benfica in middle of a hotly contested presidential electionCandidate Carvalho promises to replace Bruno LageCarvalho's preferred choice is Jurgen KloppFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 2025 Benfica presidential election is heating up, with candidates making ambitious and often sensational promises to win over the club's supporters. The race has already seen candidates like Joao Noronha Lopes make big promises of bringing Bernardo Silva back from Manchester City. Now, another candidate, Carvalho, has made the most significant pledge yet, promising to dismiss current coach Bruno Lage at the end of the season and replace him with ex-Liverpool manager Klopp, a coach he believes can lead Benfica to a Champions League title.

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Candidates are not just vying for power but are presenting radically different visions for the club's strategic direction. While some candidates like Noronha Lopes focus on player recruitment, and Joao Diogo Manteigas on club values and governance, Carvalho has gone for a big-name managerial appointment. The move is a direct challenge to the current administration and a clear statement of Carvalho's intent to bring Benfica back to the elite level of European football.

WHAT CARVALHO SAID

Speaking with , Carvalho laid out his plan for the club's managerial future, insisting that a Champions League-winning coach is essential to his project.

He said: "With me, Bruno Lage won't stay beyond his contract [which ends at the end of the season]. I need a coach of the highest level, who has already won the Champions League and who wants to win a Champions League with Benfica. There's only one name that comes to mind: Jurgen Klopp. He even said that Benfica is a great club that he would like to coach one day. Someone who says this has something more than others to be at the club."

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BENFICA?

Klopp joined RB Leipzig this January and is currently serving as the Head of Global Soccer and has a contract with the club that runs until 2029. The Benfica presidential election on October 25 is a battle for the club's future and Benfica supporter's will hope for the best man to win. However, it will be difficult to bring Klopp, who has already stated that he might never return to football management.

A "wonderful" Celtic player could be allowed to leave the club for £25m this summer, according to an update from Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops continue to be linked with new signings, even though they will now have to wait until the summer transfer window, unless they target free agents.

One player who does fall into that bracket is Dwight Gayle, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Stoke City on deadline day, and he has been backed to bolster Celtic's Scottish Premiership title push. Paris Saint-Germain Layvin Kurzawa was also seen as a late target, with Brendan Rodgers potentially deciding that he wants to bring in another left-back.

Meanwhile, a new report has suggested that Celtic hero James Forrest's time at the club could come to an end in the new few months, with a move to the MLS mooted before their transfer window closes in April. He isn't the only player who could move on in the near future, though, according to a new claim.

New update on Matt O'Riley's Celtic future

Speaking on The Celtic Exchange Podcast [via The Boot Room], Joseph said that Celtic star Matt O'Riley could leave Parkhead this summer if a £25m offer arrives for him.

"I thought Celtic would be tested for Matt O’Riley. That happened. Very much tested. This, for me, showed strong resilience from the club. They were always in a strong position to keep him in this window. Having just signed a bumper new four-year contract.

"And then Athletico Madrid came in with that loan bid with an obligation to buy for around £20 million. Double what Leeds United were offering in the summer. Celtic value him a lot higher than that, and they’d be seeking a record fee I’m told. So you’re talking ballpark at least a starting point of £25m to £30m.

"They insisted he was not for sale in this window there are very strong with that. My understanding is that he was happy to stay. My understanding is Celtic are not going to stand in his way of him joining an elite club if the right offer comes in. They just weren’t prepared to sell in this window."

Appearances

23

Starts

23

Goals

10

Assists

7

Key passes per game

2.4

Tackles per game

1.9

Pass completion rate

82.7%

There does feel like an inevitability about O'Riley leaving Celtic sooner rather than later, having developed into arguably their best player currently, registering 17 goal contributions (10 goals and seven assists) in 23 Scottish Premiership appearances this season. Rodgers has also lauded his ability in the recent past, saying:

"He is a wonderful footballer and he is ambitious and he wants to be better and improve and I am really pleased for him and that was a good run into the box and finish from him."

Reporter says Celtic could move to sign "clinical" player after Idah

Rodgers could take advantage of the free agent market.

ByTom Cunningham Feb 4, 2024

Ideally, O'Riley would stay at Celtic for many years to come, but the lure of moving to the Premier League could be great. Should he leave, it is vital that the Hoops receive as much money as possible for him, allowing Rodgers to find an excellent replacement.

In 2020, Aston Villa struck a deal to sign goalkeeper Emi Martinez from Arsenal for a fee of just under £20m. Martinez had played the final eight Premier League games of the previous season following an injury to Bernd Leno, and also helped Arsenal defeat Manchester City and Chelsea to win the FA Cup.

However, when Mikel Arteta decided that he'd stick with a returning Leno as his number one the following season, it opened the door for Martinez to move on and become the main man elsewhere. The Argentine has enjoyed huge success since moving to Villa Park, winning his side's Player of the Year Award in his debut season and then going on to land the World Cup Golden Glove and the Yashin Trophy after his country achieved immortality in Qatar.

Three and a half years on from Martinez's arrival, Villa are looking to strike gold again with another out-and-favour Arsenal player, this time Emile Smith-Rowe. The club's interest dates back to 2021, when Dean Smith was manager, as they saw two bids rejected, the second of which was worth £30m. Arsenal were "adamant" that he wasn't for sale, but now there's a chance that Unai Emery might succeed where Smith failed.

Smith-Rowe transfer is "one to watch"

Speaking to GiveMeSport, CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Villa hold a "genuine" interest in Smith-Rowe. He's unsure whether the player will be allowed to leave before the transfer deadline at the start of next month, but he reckons Arsenal may be tempted by a good offer. This, then, is a very much a transfer story "to watch" in 2024.

“Smith Rowe is still an interesting point of discussion at Arsenal. I’m still told the Villa interest is genuine. Whether or not anything moves in January remains to be seen, and I think if Smith Rowe, as an academy graduate, were to leave, then it may divide the Arsenal fan base a little bit. But it wouldn't surprise me if the right offer comes if Arsenal consider that. Again, that may be one to watch in 2024 rather than in the next few days. But I am told there is something genuine in the Villa interest in Smith Rowe.”

Kai Havertz could help Villa finally land Smith-Rowe

The last time that Villa tried to sign Smith-Rowe, it seemed inevitable that Arsenal would swat away any offers that arrived. He was coming off a season where he'd started 18 of the 23 Premier Leagues games for which he was available, and also made the line-up eight times on his side's run to the Europa League semifinals.

Now, though, things are looking very different. Smith-Rowe has appeared in 13 games up to this point, but his only league start came in a 5-0 win over Sheffield United in late October. An unused subsitute eight times in the top-flight, he didn't fare much better in the Champions League group stages either with just 42 recorded minutes.

It must have hurt the Englishman to see summer arrival Kai Havertz converted into a midfielder by Mikel Arteta and then used more often (the German has played double the games in the middle of the park so far this season).

Another thing that's changed is Villa's standing. In 2021, they were coming off the back of an 11th-place finish, but now they're level on points with Arsenal and in with a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League. That could be key in making them a much more appealing destination for Smith-Rowe.

Bengal, Chandigarh, Andhra, UP, Baroda, Delhi, MP, Saurashtra, Mumbai and Vidarbha made it to the knockouts

Shashank Kishore06-Dec-2024On Thursday, that saw the final round of group fixtures at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), as many as 17 teams were in contention for the eight remaining knockouts spots. At the end of an engaging day’s play, this much was certain: Punjab won’t be defending their title this season despite Abhishek Sharma’s heroics, Mohammed Shami will have an opportunity to garner more match time with Bengal and Ajinkya Rahane’s scintillating form for Mumbai may yet keep him in conversations around captaincy at Kolkata Knight Riders. Here are the highlights from Thursday:Bhuvneshwar the hat-trick hero as UP enter knockoutsSigned for INR 10.75 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved he is not a spent force just yet. His hat-trick against Jharkhand in a match-winning effort helped Uttar Pradesh seal a pre-quarterfinals berth, where they will take on Andhra on Monday.Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy knockouts:

1st Pre-quarterfinal: Bengal vs Chandigarh (December 9)

2nd Pre-quarterfinal: Andhra v UP(December 9)

1st Quarter-final: Baroda vs winner of 1st PQF (Dec 11)

2nd Quarter-final: Delhi vs winner of 2nd PQF (Dec 11)

3rd Quarter-final: MP vs Saurashtra (Dec 11)

4th Quarter-final: Mumbai vs Vidarbha (Dec 11)

Bhuvneshwar, captaining UP, recorded figures of 4-1-6-3 – all his wickets coming in his final over – as Jharkhand fell short by 10 runs chasing 161. Among the wickets for Bhuvneshwar was the big-hitting Robin Minz. That Jharkhand got that close was because of allrounder Anukul Roy, who smashed a 44-ball 91 at No. 5.Earlier in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar upstaged Jasprit Bumrah to become the first Indian seamer to get 300 T20 wickets. Among Indians, only Yuzvendra Chahal (364), Piyush Chawla (319) and R Ashwin (310) have more T20 wickets than Bhuvneshwar (308).Shami continues pain-free returnShami picked up three wickets in another sure shot sign of him slowly returning to full match fitness, as Bengal stormed into the pre-quarterfinals where they will take on Chandigarh.Playing his seventh straight game of the competition, Shami picked up 3 for 26 as Bengal restricted Rajasthan to153 for 9, before half-centuries from Abishek Porel and Sudip Gharami helped seal a seven-wicket win.Related

Abhishek hits 28-ball century, the joint second-fastest in T20s

Baroda's 349 for 5 breaks world record for highest T20 total

Shami has so far bowled his full quota of overs (27.3 out of a possible 28) in the seven games, while picking up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.67. Prior to SMAT, Shami had returned a match haul of seven wickets against Madhya Pradesh in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy last month, his first competitive outing since last year’s World Cup final.Bengal will take on Chandigarh in the pre-quarterfinal on Monday.Rahane 95 helps Mumbai record highest SMAT chaseIn a must-win, Mumbai eclipsed their previous highest chase of 227 to beat Andhra and set up a quarter-final on Wednesday against Vidarbha, the team they beat in last season’s Ranji final. Rahane’s 95 off just 54 balls, with nine fours and four sixes, kept Mumbai in the chase right until the end, before Suryansh Shedge finished it off in a blaze.Set an imposing 230, thanks to KS Bharat’s unbeaten 53-ball 93, Mumbai were fuelled by a rollicking opening stand of 51 in just four overs between Rahane and Prithvi Shaw, who made a 15-ball 34. Then they hit choppy waters with Shreyas Iyer (25) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) falling in quick succession.Rahane then found support from Shivam Dube, with whom he put on 54 in just 31 balls; Dube’s contribution to the partnership an 18-ball 34. At one stage, Mumbai needed 26 off 10, and Shedge, on 2 off 2 at that point, hit two fours and three sixes to finish on an unbeaten eight-ball 30 as Mumbai won with three balls to spare.File photo: Ajinkya Rahane continued his fine form in T20s•AFP/Getty ImagesA win would have helped Andhra qualify directly for the quarter-finals as they would have topped the table. They will now have to play the pre-quarters because Mumbai and Andhra finished on the same points and Mumbai were the table-toppers because of their head-to-head against Andhra earlier in the league stage. Mumbai’s win also knocked Kerala out of the competition.Gujarat knocked out despite six wins in sevenNet run rate cruelly led to Gujarat’s group-stage exit as they lost out to Saurashtra and Baroda, who set the record for the highest T20 score, against Sikkim.When Gujarat blasted 251 for 5 batting first against Karnataka, thanks to opener Aarya Desai’s 73 off 40 and Axar Patel’s unbeaten 20-ball 56, there was no inkling of the heartbreak that was to follow. They managed to restrict Karnataka to 203, with Axar picking 2 for 22 off four overs in their 48-run win.However, Saurashtra managed to edge out Gujarat by chasing down their 137 target against Tripura in just 13.3 overs. In the end, Baroda, Saurashtra and Gujarat all finished on 24 points and Gujarat lost out on a knockout berth because their NRR was lower than Saurashtra’s by 0.335.

Casemiro opted to remain at Manchester United over a transfer to Al-Nassr, with the 2026 World Cup a key factor in the Brazilian's decision.

Casemiro had Saudi Pro League optionCould have reunited with Ronaldo at Al-NassrWanted best chance of taking part in World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old chose to remain at United, where he is "very happy", in order to have the best chance of representing his nation at the World Cup next summer, GOAL understands. Casemiro is a 'trusted man' of new national team manager Carlo Ancelotti and the former Real Madrid star will feel he still has a role to play for his country if he has a strong season in the Premier League.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Casemiro has made 77 appearances for Brazil dating back to 2011 and has seen a return to the set-up under his former Los Blancos boss Ancelotti after the Italian took over the Selecao earlier this year. It has been 23 years since Brazil tasted World Cup glory – but the record five-time winners will hope that the appointment of a serial winner such as Ancelotti will give them the best possible chance in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

DID YOU KNOW?

Though a lucrative chance to reunite with former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo may have appeared enticing to Casemiro, the midfield destroyer opted to remain at Old Trafford and play his part in the Ruben Amorim rebuild. Casemiro has made 128 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 17 goals.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

The 33-year-old currently sees his contract at United expire next summer and may decide to revisit the option of a Saudi exit following the World Cup. In the meantime he will aim to do all he can to secure a spot on the plane to North America, knowing that World Cup glory could be the crowning moment in a glittering career.

The NFL pulled back the curtain on its brand-new Rivalry uniforms Thursday. Teams from the AFC East and NFC West will be the first to sport these limited-edition kits, each slated to debut during a home clash against a divisional foe.

The NFL, in partnership with Nike, pulled the curtain back on Thursday to reveal the first wave of 2025 Rivalries uniforms, a fresh initiative blending tradition with modern design. The program, introduced earlier this year, aims to spotlight the rich histories of select franchises while strengthening the bond between players, teams, and their fanbases.

This opening set features eight clubs from the AFC East and NFC West, each receiving a one-of-a-kind Rivalries look that will make its on-field debut during a marquee home matchup against a divisional foe. 

Every design is steeped in the identity and heritage of its city, weaving in local culture and iconic traditions to create uniforms that are more than just game-day attire—they're a bold statement of community pride.

Nike's approach goes beyond aesthetics, offering both athletes and supporters a way to connect on a deeper level, turning each Rivalries jersey into a shared emblem of loyalty, legacy, and competitive fire.

Buy 2025-26 NFL Rivalry kits at NikeShop now

GOAL breaks down the fresh looks hitting the gridiron, highlighting which NFL heavyweights will don their new uniforms and the exact moments fans can expect to see them during the 2025-26 campaign.

Cardinals, NikeArizona Cardinals | Sept. 25 vs Seattle Seahawks

Dubbed “Built to Last,” this rugged, sandstorm-themed kit leans into earthy shades and striking stripe patterns, giving it a weathered, battle-tested vibe. 

Fans will get their first glimpse of the sand-scorched design on September 25, when it makes its home debut against the Seahawks.

Miami Dolphins | Sept. 29 vs New York Jets

Miami is set to break out its fresh threads in Week 4 under the primetime lights of Monday Night Football on September 29, when they square off with the New York Jets. 

The design, dubbed “Dark Waters,” trades the team’s classic palette for a bold deep navy base, accented by sharp aqua and orange highlights with an inverted logo that gives the look a striking, modern edge.

Bills, NikeBuffalo Bills | Oct. 5 vs New England PatriotsBuy 2025-26 Bills Rivalry kits at NikeShop now

Buffalo rolled out its icy new “Cold Front” look with an all-white uniform set paired with a matching lid, accented by frosty blue and silver detailing. Quarterback Josh Allen headlined the reveal, posing with a snow-dusted football that drove the theme home perfectly. 

The jersey stands out with a cracked-ice texture across the shoulders, highlighted by a reflective chrome buffalo logo in a sleek low-poly style. Even the inside collar carries a weathered, battle-worn finish—symbolizing the grit and grind of playing through Buffalo’s brutal elements.

49ers, NikeSan Francisco 49ers | Jan. 4 vs Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers have given their old all-black look a fresh makeover. The original version, first rolled out in 2015, was widely panned by fans and quickly shelved after 2017.

This time around, the design carries a sharper edge. The traditional gold helmet has been swapped out for a sleek black one, while the jersey numbers now feature a saloon-style font with gold shadowing—a huge upgrade from the plain red block numbers of the past. Back then, the lack of gold made the set look more like something the Cardinals would wear, but the new touches bring the uniforms much closer to San Francisco's identity.

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has claimed that personal reasons could have been the deciding factor behind Manchester United star Paul Pogba snubbing a move to rivals Man City this summer.

The Lowdown: Pogba available for transfer

The Frenchman first joined the Red Devils in a world-record £89m move from Juventus six years ago, where he has since gone on to make 233 appearances for the club during that time.

The 29-year-old’s current contract with United is set to expire at the end of the season, making him a free agent to any potential suitors interested in securing his services, and as a result of this, has been linked with multiple clubs in recent weeks, one of those being Pep Guardiola’s side.

As reported by The Athletic journalist David Ornstein earlier this week, the Sky Blues are thought to have made a proposal for Pogba which the player did seriously consider, but he has since informed City that he will be moving elsewhere.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Manchester rivalry a deciding factor

Hutton has admitted that it didn’t come as any shock to him to see United’s Premier League competitors show interest in the maestro, but suggested that the famous rivalry between the two sides may have put the 91-cap international off a potential move to the Etihad. He told Football Insider’s Russell Edge:

“It doesn’t surprise me they’ve thrown their hat into the ring.

“There’s no doubting his talent. I think on a personal level, for him to make that move, thinking of his lifestyle moving forward, how difficult that would be for them, just in general life.

“That’s probably the sticking point because the wages and that wouldn’t be a problem.

“He has had a hard time at Manchester United. Then to go to their rivals across the city, I think, would be very difficult for him.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if you see him go to PSG or somebody like that. That kind of makes more sense, I think, for him and his family.”

The Verdict: Ten Hag’s squad rebuild

Pogba, although beloved by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has missed out on the last five games under Ralf Rangnick having sustained a calf injury in the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool back in April, and it’s fair to say that United have missed his creativity in the middle of the park during his spell on the sidelines.

Prior to being ruled out of action, the £49.5m-rated midfielder was averaging 1.6 shots and 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes in the top-flight, not to mention that he has provided nine assists throughout the current campaign, via WhoScored.

With the arrival of new manager Erik ten Hag imminent, the Dutchman will no doubt be busy filtering through his squad to decide who has a long-term future at the club and who will be let go, and it looks like Pogba will be just one of many names set to depart Old Trafford ahead of the start of next season.

In other news… United are said to have initiated contact with a club regarding one of their summer transfer targets.

Fast bowler described abuse as ‘a real shame’ in his newspaper column

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2019Jofra Archer has declared that he is “over” the incident of racial abuse that marred the closing stages of last week’s first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, as England’s thoughts turn towards the challenge of squaring the series in the second Test at Hamilton, which begins on Friday morning.However, writing in his column in the Daily Mail, Archer described the incident as a “real shame”, and made it clear that there is no place for racist abuse “in any walk of life, let alone cricket”.The incident occurred towards the end of England’s second innings on the fifth day of the first Test. Faced with impending defeat, Archer scored 30 from 50 balls from No.9 to give England a glimmer of hope before holing out to deep square leg, whereupon he was accosted by a member of the crowd as he returned to the pavilion.”The first thing I want to say about what happened towards the end of the Test at Mount Maunganui is that I’m over it,” Archer wrote. “I’ve left what happened at the ground and I’ve moved on. I should also say it was just one person who was shouting stuff.”But I found the incident a real shame. When you come to another country, you half expect fans to have a go at your cricket. If someone wants to shout at me and tell me I’m bowling badly, that’s fine. I may not agree but it’s fine. It’s part of the experience of being a touring cricketer.”To hear racism, though — that’s another matter. There is no time or place for it in any walk of life, let alone cricket. It’s just not called for.”In a Twitter post shortly after the close of play, Archer described the incident as “a bit disturbing”, adding in a separate post that was subsequently deleted that the individual concerned had been “yelling bbc and bc from the scoreboard area”.ALSO READ: England urged to look after ‘golden’ ArcherESPNcricinfo understands that the same person is thought to have contacted Archer via Instagram soon afterwards, which may help the authorities to identify him. New Zealand Cricket has pledged to ban the individual for life after reiterating their zero-tolerance attitude to racism.However, Archer himself now wants to move on, even if he remains disappointed that the spectators in the vicinity didn’t do more to address the issue at the time.”I don’t want to go into the details of what was said but I know what I heard,” he wrote. “I thought members of the crowd around the guy might have pulled him up because I could hear him from the pitch as I was walking off.”I guess they didn’t. But I know I wasn’t hearing stuff. I told the security guard what had happened and that was it. Now my only goal is to make sure we finish this series on a high because we were all disappointed with the result in the first Test.”Archer’s returns in that match were below the high standards he set himself during his debut Test series against Australia last summer, and he came in for some criticism as a consequence – not least for his bowling speeds, which rarely touched the 90mph mark of which he is capable..However, Archer insisted he had done his best in trying circumstances, and also defended the tactics used by his captain, Joe Root, in the course of a New Zealand innings that stretched to a marathon 201 overs.”I try not to read the media but I guess there’s been some talk about my bowling,” he wrote. “I did as good as I could: I sent down 42 overs and went at 2.5 in unhelpful conditions. I know I’ve never bowled more than 30 in an innings before but I felt fine. I could have bowled again the next day.”I have to accept people are going to be looking at my speeds. I thought I was bowling quicker than the speedgun suggested.”I pretty much know what speed I usually bowl at and at one point I bowled a normal ball and it came up at 120-something kilometres per hour, which is less than 80mph. That didn’t seem right.””I know Joe used me in short bursts at the start but that was mainly because we were trying to find the right ends for each bowler.”Sure, we didn’t think we’d be in the field for as long as we were but I appreciated what Joe was trying to do.”It’s also not the case that he just wanted me to bowl short. You adapt to conditions and to the batsman. Watling scored 200 and played about two pull shots. Other times the captain asks you to aim for the knee roll. It’s not one gameplan that you stick to whatever happens.”